A photoelectric conversion element of an embodiment includes a substrate, a transparent first electrode on the substrate, a second electrode, and a light absorbing layer of a homo-junction type interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The light absorbing layer includes a p-type region on the second electrode side and an n-type region on the first electrode side. The n-type region has an n-type dopant. The photoelectric conversion element has a boundary surface between the light absorbing layer on the n-type region side and the first electrode.

Provided is a solar cell apparatus. The solar cell apparatus includes: a substrate; a first cell group on the substrate; a second cell group on the substrate; a first diode connected in parallel to the first cell group; and a second diode connected in parallel to the second cell group.

A multi-junction photovoltaic cell includes a substrate and a back contact layer formed on the substrate. A low bandgap Group IB-IIIB-VIB.sub.2 material solar absorber layer is formed on the back contact layer. A heterojunction partner layer is formed on the low bandgap solar absorber layer, to help form the bottom cell junction, and the heterojunction partner layer includes at least one layer of a high resistivity material having a resistivity of at least 100 ohms-centimeter. The high resistivity material has the formula (Zn and/or Mg)(S, Se, O, and/or OH). A conductive interconnect layer is formed above the heterojunction partner layer, and at least one additional single-junction photovoltaic cell is formed on the conductive interconnect layer, as a top cell. The top cell may have an amorphous Silicon or p-type Cadmium Selenide solar absorber layer. Cadmium Selenide may be converted from n-type to p-type with a chloride doping process.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for light collection and conversion to electricity are disclosed herein. The disclosed method involves receiving, by at least one concentrating element (e.g., a lens), light from at least one light source, where the light comprises direct light and diffuse light. The method further involves focusing, by at least one concentrating element, the direct light onto at least one concentrator photovoltaic cell. Also, the method involves passing, by at least one concentrating element, the diffuse light onto at least one solar cell of an array of solar cells arranged on a flat plate, where at least one concentrator photovoltaic cell is bonded on top of at least one of the solar cells in the array. In addition, the method involves collecting, by at least one concentrator photovoltaic cell, the direct light. Further, the method involves collecting, by at least one solar cell, the diffuse light.

A handle substrate having at least one metallization region is provided on a stressor layer that is located above a base substrate such that the at least one metallization region is in contact with a surface of the stressor layer. An upper portion of the base substrate is spalled, i.e., removed, to provide a structure comprising, from bottom to top, a spalled material portion of the base substrate, the stressor layer and the handle substrate containing the at least one metallization region in contact with the surface of the stressor layer.

A device comprising a thin film solar cell with an integrated flexible antenna, such as a meander line antenna, is disclosed. In an embodiment, the device comprises a substrate and an array of solar cells disposed on the substrate, wherein the array of solar cells are interconnected by metal conductors that carry DC power from the solar cells and which form at least part of the flexible antenna. In their capacity as an antenna, the metal conductors operate cooperatively with the solar cells to radiate an RF signal, receive an RF signal, or both radiate and receive an RF signal. The device optionally comprises a choke disposed on the substrate and electrically coupled to the array of solar cells, wherein the choke operates to impede conduction of the RF signal. A method of making the disclosed device is also disclosed.

The invention relates to a photovoltaic element including an optically functional surface layer for improving a conversion of the incident light. The functioning of the layer involves absorbing incident sunlight having a low wavelength and emitting it again as light radiation having a higher wavelength, so that this light spectrum becomes usable for solar cells. In order to solve the currently unsolved problem of embedding such a layer into a thin-film solar cell with a substrate arranged on the front side, while ensuring high weathering resistance, it is proposed to arrange the optical functional layer in an additional encapsulation element on the front side and thus to construct the photovoltaic element as a double- or multiple composite assembly.

It is an object of the present invention to improve photoelectric conversion efficiency in a photoelectric conversion device. The photoelectric conversion device 11 according to the present invention uses a polycrystalline semiconductor layer including a plurality of semiconductor particles 3a coupled together as a light-absorbing layer 3, each of the semiconductor particles 3a including a group I-III-VI compound, each of the semiconductor particles 3a having a higher composition ratio P.sub.I of a group I-B element to a group III-B element in a surface portion thereof than that in a central portion thereof.

A light trapping photovoltaic device includes a substrate having a top surface defining a plurality of openings, and a plurality of light trapping photovoltaic cells recessed into the substrate through the openings of the substrate. Each light trapping cell includes a first photovoltaic face and a second photovoltaic face, both of which are configured to produce electricity in response to an external light. Top edges of the first and second photovoltaic faces are disposed at a perimeter of an opening through which the light trapping cell is recessed and bottom edges of the first and second photovoltaic faces are disposed inside the opening. The first and second photovoltaic faces are inclined to each other at a predetermined angle so that the first and second photovoltaic faces are exposed to the external light through the opening.

Disclosed are a solar cell apparatus, and a method of fabricating the same. The solar cell apparatus includes: dummy parts disposed on a support substrate; a plurality of solar cells disposed on the support substrate and disposed between the dummy parts; and a bus bar electrically connected to the solar cells and disposed between the support substrate and the dummy parts. Each of the solar cells and the dummy parts has a back electrode layer, a light absorbing layer, and a front electrode layer sequentially disposed on the support substrate.